If I learn enough about 3D modeling before I kick the bucket, one of the objects I plan to create is extremely large! So I was hoping there was a way to reduce the number of polygons and / or vertices automatically, as you move farther and farther away from the object.
Or if that's impossible, is there a way for different versions of the object to be shown, depending on the distance it's being viewed from?
In this way, the number of polygons, (etc.), can be kept down in all cases.
When you're close to the object, you can only see part of it. The rest of the object shouldn't really even exist, (as far as the computer is concerned)!!! All you need is a very few coordinates to tell the computer what to display as you move around very close to the object.
Can this be done in AC3D... or is there a plug-in or something that will do this?
If I were writing this feature, I would make if possible for a user to tell the program how many versions of the object there should be.
If a computer isn't smart enough to know exactly how to reduce the object as you move away from it, then it can be done manually... but when the object is complete, (and being used in a flight sim, [let's say]), the different versions of the object should be generated as the distance from it changes.
Can anything like this be done in AC3D... is there a plug-in... or do I have to go to Blender for this? Or is this just a total pipe-dream of mine?
(I can't afford 3D Studio Max!)
Any help with this will be very much appreciated.